Blueberry banana nut bread

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Blueberry banana nut bread really ups your quick bread game. A moist banana bread bases gets dotted with juicy, fresh blueberries and rich walnuts for an added treat.

A slice of blueberry banana nut bread on a white plate with the loaf on a wood cutting board — Blueberry Banana Nut Bread

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What if banana nut bread and blueberry muffins had a baby?

I’m pretty sure if that happened it would be this blueberry banana nut bread.

It’s like making a giant blueberry muffin that you can slice and serve with your favorite breakfast and brunch fare.

Its cousin is cinnamon swirl banana bread which is a more classic banana bread recipe and of course we can’t forget its distant fall cousin pumpkin bread.

This version?

Just as good, easier, and has so much sweet juicy blueberry goodness.

Ingredients and Kitchen Supplies

Ingredients for blueberry banana nut bread: flour, baking powder, salt, bananas, blueberries, oil, granulated sugar, vanilla, brown sugar, milk, egg, and walnuts

Here’s what you need to make blueberry banana nut bread:

Blueberries – Fresh blueberries elevate this banana nut bread. You can use freshly picked, farm stand, or grocery store blueberries. I would stear clear of frozen berries because the moisture content is different,
Walnuts – You can use a different nut if you prefer, but walnut works well for banana bread. You can also completely omit the nuts if you prefer.
All Purpose Flour – Never use bread flour for a quick bread recipe. You want the lower protein content in all purpose flour so the bread has a softer crumb.
Sugar – Both brown sugar and granulated sugar.
Baking Powder – Quick breads don’t use yeast. They rely on baking powder to rise and give them texture.
Salt
Oil – A light oil like canola oil or olive oil.
Milk – You can use the milk you have on hand. We use 1 or 2% milk, depending on what we have, but full fat or skim will both work.
Egg – The egg helps to hold the bread together and give it some extra rise and texture.
Bananas – You know the bananas that are deeply brown spotted and past the point of being good to eat? Use those! If your bananas are all yellow or worse- yellow with green edges- the bananas are not ready for bread. Overripe bananas give you the sweetness you want with less starch.
Vanilla Extract – Real stuff not imitation.

To make blueberry banana nut bread, you’ll need:

Loaf Pan
Hand Mixer – you could also use a stand mixer if you prefer or a potato masher and spoon to mix thoroughly.
Whisk

How to Make Blueberry Banana Nut Bread

1. Prepare the wet ingredients.

Before starting, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

As it heats, mash the peeled bananas either with a hand mixer, a fork, or a potato mixer.

Mashed bananas in a mixing bowl ready to be turned into blueberry banana nut bread — Mash the bananas until they look like this

When they are lightly mashed, add the sugars, oil, milk, vanilla, and egg to the bowl with the mashed bananas.

Beat the milk, egg, oil, chocolate, and sugars to the mashed bananas

Use a hand mixer to mix together until everything is combined evenly.

2. Prepare the dry ingredients and combine with wet ingredients.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in 2 to batches, mixing quickly with a hand mixer to combine between each batch.

the blueberry banana nut bread batter in a glass bowl — Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients to make the blueberry banana nut bread batter

Once fully combined, fold in the blueberries and walnuts.

Fold the blueberries and chopped walnuts into the batter until just combined

3. Bake and serve.

Blueberry banana nut bread batter in a loaf pan — Fill a greased loaf pan about 2/3 to 3/4 of the way full

Spray the loaf pan with non-stick spray and pour the batter into one or two loaf pans (one larger pan or two smaller ones).

You want to fill a loaf pan to about 2/3 to 3/4 full, too much more and it may spill out.

Bake for about an hour or until a fork/toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Blueberry banana nut bread in a glass loaf pan — Blueberry Banana Nut Bread

Allow to cool for at least 10 to 20 minutes before cutting, though ideally wait until it has cooled completely.

Serving

Serve blueberry banana nut bread with your favorite toppings and spreads or enjoy it as is!

Some ideas to get you started:

butter
clotted cream
whipped cream
flavored cream cheese
more fresh blueberries, bananas, or other fruits and berries
fruit compote, like blueberry compote or strawberry topping

Storing

Blueberry banana nut bread on a wood cutting board — Blueberry Banana Nut Bread

Once cooled, you can transfer the loaf to a air tight plastic container or cover tightly with plastic wrap.

You can store the bread on the counter for about 5 days or place in the fridge for about 5 to 7 days.

Freezing

To freeze the bread, let it cool completely,

Wrap the cooled loaf in a tight layer of plastic wrap and place the wrapped bread inside a ziplocking freezer bag.

You can store it for up to 6 months.

Prior to enjoying, let it thaw in the fridge until defrosted.

You can toast the bread, eat at room temperature, or warm up in the microwave or oven.

FAQs

How ripe should bananas be for banana bread?

Bananas should be pretty ripe- past the point of solid yellow with lots of brown spots. The brown spots indicate that the banana’s starches are breaking down into sugar.

Do blueberries taste good in banana bread?

Try it for yourself and find out! But my answer is yes! They are very yummy adding a burst of juicy sweetness and making the bread even more moist.

Tips and Tricks

A loaf of blueberry banana nut quick bread with the end cut off to show the moist crumb and how loaded with berries it is — Blueberry Banana Nut Bread

To make the best blueberry banana nut bread, follow these easy tips:

Ovens all have slight variations in how they bake. Make sure to check your banana nut bread around 50 to 55 minutes. It may be done or may need several more minutes.
Preheat your oven before placing the bread in the oven.
Make sure to spray your loaf pan liberally with nonstick spray so the bread releases easily.
You can add a teaspoon of cinnamon to the batter for extra flavor.
Allow the bread to cool before cutting into it, this will help it keep from falling apart.

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